Fossilman
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723 
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Montana
Jun 21, 2018 12:48:51 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Fossilman on Jun 21, 2018 12:48:51 GMT -5
Iris, everybody's dream, when cutting...LOL Yes Diana has it right, thin cuts, solid whites and clear waterlines, will sometimes bring out the iris... Some didn't know that you can get iris from Carnelian, Brazilian also...Probably other agates too, if worked right... I have iris from Montana, Carnelian and one Brazilian.. Most are in the beginnings of the polish stages... You see Iris right after the cutting is done, once the oils are gone off the material, you won't see iris again, till it's polished! I have a friend in Montana that cuts more iris than a kid has candy! He is good at it and knows the rock before its cut.. Beautiful material... Turtle backs, in my opinion can knock that material right out of the ball park too, they are some awesome visuals.. As stated above and I quote "No guts, no glory" Just go for it, you just never know! Didn't know about the Carnelian, but it makes sense that it would. I wonder if it is your friend that keeps posting on FB making me drool over them. What is a turtleback? His name is Brad... |
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Post by MsAli on Jun 21, 2018 12:55:12 GMT -5
Didn't know about the Carnelian, but it makes sense that it would. I wonder if it is your friend that keeps posting on FB making me drool over them. What is a turtleback? THANKS! |
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Montana
Jun 21, 2018 13:01:44 GMT -5
Post by MsAli on Jun 21, 2018 13:01:44 GMT -5
Didn't know about the Carnelian, but it makes sense that it would. I wonder if it is your friend that keeps posting on FB making me drool over them. What is a turtleback? His name is Brad... Lindgren? |
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Post by stardiamond on Jul 17, 2018 12:42:46 GMT -5
I trimmed off the broken edges and the healed fracture and got this:   Sorry about the large pictures. Since the front and back are quite different, I couldn't see where the changes occur until I trimmed the preform. The first picture is the preferred scene and most of the scene is very shallow. I'm trying to come up with a strategy on how to cab it. I could: 1. Make it a flat top and polish the front and back. 2. Polish the front and then turn it upside down making it the bottom, grind the top and have the scene viewed top to bottom. I would start with a high dome and then see how much of the preferred scene was visible and then keep grinding as necessary. 3. Dome the top and accept whatever shows up. Although the slab is thick for a flat top. I think that is what I'm going to do. Since it's Montana, it will probably fracture anyway. Half the trim saw cuts ended with a fracture on this piece. |
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Montana
Jul 17, 2018 12:49:13 GMT -5
Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 17, 2018 12:49:13 GMT -5
Nice save! Sometimes, the decision process takes longer than the actual cabbing.
Be positive, think "no fractures." No matter what, it is a learning process, good experience.
Can't wait to see it finished!
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Post by stardiamond on Jul 17, 2018 16:28:46 GMT -5
It would have made a very scenic oval cab rotated 90 degrees counter clockwise, but there was a healed fracture on the left side that looks like a tree line. With Montana, I try to minimize risk.
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Montana
Jul 31, 2018 13:16:51 GMT -5
Post by stardiamond on Jul 31, 2018 13:16:51 GMT -5
Nice little guy.... The white line is there to stay (water line)... I have several hundred pounds of this material laying around.. (favorite rock) .... Have fun with cabbing it.. You nailed it. The white line went from front to back and not in a straight line. It angled for about 3/4". When I tried to cut it there was a fracture exposing 3/4 inch of material like an emery board. |
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Montana
Jul 31, 2018 15:35:37 GMT -5
Post by stardiamond on Jul 31, 2018 15:35:37 GMT -5
This is a real learning experience. I had a slab similar to the one that fractured. I trimmed the rind to see where the white was going and again it seemed on the surface. I cut the preform and saw the white like the other cab. Two things different this time; the preform didn't fall apart and the most of the white except at the surface was more solid. I might be able to save this one.  |
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